


Glitch

by ChibbyPanda



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Despair, Gen, Hope, Lies, Murder, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Psychological, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-09 16:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13485045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibbyPanda/pseuds/ChibbyPanda
Summary: The Most Despair Inducing Event in the History of Mankind (also known as the Tragedy) is starting to slow down after the death of Junko Enoshima. Makoto Naegi and his friends are finally free from the School Life of Mutual Killing and eventually join the Future Foundation.Where this is going, Hope is going to defeat Despair.Or so they thought...Three months after they joined the Future Foundation, strange things start to happen.Secrets are being leaked.Lies are spreading.People are getting murdered.When chaos is rising once again, there's only one explanation to all of this: there's a mole in the Future Foundation. And who would've thought that the prime suspect is none other than the Super High School Level Hope: Makoto Naegi himself!Knowing that the true culprit is still out there, Makoto sets out to clear his name.With the help of his friends, will he succeed? Will Hope rise through this? Or will Despair reign victorious?Because Despair is much closer that they think.





	1. The Beginning

**DESPAIR**

It's like a virus. Just a simple disaster can lead to an epidemic of misery. It's a plague that threatens to destroy society. The Most Despair Inducing Incident in the History of Mankind is an example of this phenomenon. Because of the Super High School Level Despair Junko Enoshima, everyone does horrible acts all in the name of Despair. However, when all seems lost there seems to be another emotion at play.

**HOPE**

Just like Despair, Hope can influence people. But instead of consuming them to darkness, it brings them a light that comforts them. Hope tells them to not give up for there will always be a tomorrow.

Despite the Tragedy, there are still people who hold on to a small string of Hope. A string so small and delicate that it could snap at any moment. That's why Junko hosted a School Life of Mutual Killing Game─ to break the hopes and dreams of her viewers.

Blood was shed at the time and life itself appeared to be closing into an abyss. But all that change when an ordinary boy stood up against Junko. That boy was Makoto Naegi. It was because of him that Hope fills in the hearts of his friends. Since then, he's known as the Super High School Level Hope and Junko was defeated─ ending her own life by a grand execution.

Makoto and his friends were free and rescued by the Future Foundation. Eventually, they joined the said organization to help rid the world of Despair.

Since then, the horrible Tragedy that the Super High School Level Despair created is starting to slow down. The amount of chaos is diminishing and Hope is coming back to the hearts of more people. Hope...just might win this war.

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Or not...


	2. The Start Of Your End

It's past midnight and a man is seen typing away in his computer. He's in his late twenties. He hasn't shave for a long time, making his face covered with so much hair that only his brown eyes can be seen. He considers shaving his ever-growing facial hair but decides not to. Not now at least. The world is in a big mess right now. For all he know, someone could murder him with razor! He couldn't afford that to happen. Especially since he is doing an important assignment...

The man suddenly lets out a loud yawn and can feel his eyelids drooping heavily. There's no mystery why. Ever since last month, he hasn't been sleeping. He can't sleep. No. That's a wrong way to put it.

~~He is _afraid_ to sleep.~~

So frighten...that he drinks more that 6 cups of coffee a day just to stay awake. He always work until the crack of dawn. Even though he's completely exhausted and wants to rest so badly, he still refuses to take breaks─even for a moment. He wants to make himself busy. So that he will not think of anything else other than work. Especially that thing that happened one month ago...

He needs to get this assignment done as soon as possible. After all, he would never know when he'll be next.

He'll never know if he's on  _his_ list.

And he definitely doesn't want to end up like  _them_.

The thought of that makes him shudder.

"Keep yourself together. Keep yourself together..."

While he is busy inputting data in his project, footsteps can be heard. Alert by this, the man shouts:

"Who's there!?"

The footsteps grow louder as a woman around the man's age enters the room. She has brown tied hair and warm amber eyes. She lost a couple of pounds due to not eating much, making her seemingly drained of energy. But she still has this warm smile that can brighten anyone's day.

The man sighs in relief.

"Oh. It's just you, Hana. Next time don't walk in like that."

"Sorry about that, Tako. I just want to see you so much that I forgot that we have no time for surprises," Hana apologizes with a smile.

"That's alright," the man now known as Tako responds. "So you're on break?"

"Yes. I came here to give you this.'

Coffee is given to him with a note saying:

**You can do it!:)**

**-**

**Hana**

"I just thought of how this project is important to you. So I want to give you something to boost your energy. After all, if this is a success, the whole world will be saved," Hana remarks.

"It will succeed. Here's to  _Hope_."

Hana smiles in response.

Tako smiles as he drinks the whole thing in one gulp. He gets ready to work again when─

"AAHHHHHH!"

The man collapses to the cold metallic floor. His body starts to hurt horribly as he agonizes the pain. Every limb, every muscle is aching tremendously. It's beyond human knowledge.

"W-What is this!? Hana... Call for help..." The man hoarsely asks.

But Hana just smiles at him.

"H-Hana?"

Suddenly, she starts laughing so sweetly that it becomes sickening.

"What the?"

"I can't believe this would be so easy," she says. Before Tako can understand what's going on, Hana starts unzipping her clothes.

"What are you doing?!"

He knows that Hana would never do something like this. Something is definitely wrong. He averts his eyes from the expected bare skin from that woman.

But then...it never happen. Instead, it's a black and white hoodie and dark blue jeans. What's stranger is that the clothes that Hana seemingly removed is not just clothes but a...

"A body suit?" Tako ponders.

Without the body suit, it reveals that the person before him is not his wife. Not even a woman. The stranger is male. Finally, the stranger removes the mask that bears Hana's face, revealing a young face of a teenager with a dark purple hair and blue eyes.

Extremely shock by this sudden event, Tako asks:

"Who are you?"

"You don't know?" The teen responds. "I've been causing some mischief in the Future Foundation since last month."

"What? So you're..." Then it dawns to Tako. His worst fear is coming true. He's next. "What did you do to me?"

The boy just blinks and shrugs.

"It's nothing much. It's just a simple poison I found. It'll not kill you instantly but the side-effects are a bit painful. That way I can have a chat with you before you go. Oh! The room is soundproofed and I closed the door behind me so no one can hear us. See? I care for your privacy."

"W-What do you want?" The man screams out. "And why did you disguised as Hana?!"

"To talk to you of course!" The attacker answers with excitement. "I knew that it would be hard to talk to you so I decided to pretend to be her. I know it's cruel but I don't have a choice."

Don't have a choice? This person is really aware on how much it will hurt him if it seems that Hana poisoned him. And he still did it.

"I have a confession to make," the attacker says sadly. "It's true that she was supposed to give you your coffee. She even signed it and everything. It's just that she's...no longer with us."

"She's what? What did you do to her?! AAAHHHHH!" Tako cries out angrily. The poison's painful effects just adds up to his suffering.

"Don't worry. Unlike yours, her end was painless and peaceful. It's not like I did anything brutal. That's just isn't me," the attacker smiles. But not like a sinister smile or a mad smile like Junko Enoshima's. It's a really bright smile like the Tragedy never happened. It gives the place a friendly atmosphere. It's so friendly that the man almost forget that this smiling person poisoned him.

"You...are...a...MONSTER!"

"Really? Well it wouldn't have happened if you were there."

"What do you mean?"

The attacker closes his eyes for a moment and then opens it again. For some reason, there is a red glint in his left eye. It scares him.

"You were so busy with your precious project, that you chose it over her. Hana─your wife─wanted to be with you. You haven't been seeing each other lately and she asked if you could spend some time with her. She seemed so distressed and needed your comfort. But what did you answer? Maybe this will refresh your memory."

The boy then takes out his phone, opens the recording app, and presses PLAY. What comes out of its speaker is a harsh voice. The voice of Tako.

_**"Hana, I have no time for this nonsense! What matters is the sanity of this world. It needs to be restored. So stop asking me to join you on this unproductive activity."** _

The boy then presses STOP.

Tako can feel tears coming out of his eyes.

"After that, Hana decided to stop asking. She was heartbroken. And tonight─about fifteen minutes prior she made coffee for you as a way to cheer you on. And then... I gave her a little drink and poof! She took a nap. A nap she'll never wake up from."

"NOOOOO!" Tako cries out, the poison rages on.

"You called yourself her husband. You didn't even realized that I impersonated her. Isn't it awful to realize that you should've accepted her offer? That way, you wouldn't feel regret when her time comes."

"W-What's wrong with y-you?" The man asks with fear. "You talk...of DEATH...like it's a normal!"

He's now having a hard time speaking. Breathing itself starts to hurt his lungs because of the poison. But he really wants to know what his killer is thinking.

"Isn't it?" The attacker responds, confused. Not sarcastically, but genuinely confused. "Death is inevitable. Why would it matter if the cause is murder, age, or suicide? It's just death. But hey! Isn't this also a good thing? You get to see your wife again. Sure the way meeting her will be painful and depressing for your love ones but that's how it goes. Everything comes with a price. In exchange for one's happiness, another has to suffer."

Tako feels like his life is fading away. The attacker then kneels near him as he whispers something in his ear. As if he's asking a childish question, he says:

"Tell me something. How does it feel to have your life slowly but painfully taken from you? Isn't it nice to feel the pain you put all your victims through combined? Isn't there a term for this? Oh yeah.  _Karma_. You had hurt a lot of people in a psychological level. But you are lucky. You're suffering will end soon, while your victims will still be alive-forever broken."

The dying man is shocked. How did his attacker know about that? Only a psychotic stalker would've known but...

_"_ _STOP_ _THIS_ _PLEASE_ _!"_

_"_ _NO_ _!_ _ANYTHING_ _BUT_ _T_ _HAT_ _!"_

_"_ _WHY_ _ARE_ _YOU_ _DOING_ _THIS_ _?"_

Tako can hear them. He can hear their cries.

"I d-don't u-understand. I-I am g-going to d-die and I'm facing my k-killer. I know that y-you're a-a p-psycho who k-knows a-a secret I-I never told anyone. E-Even to Hana. So why...can't I s-see that psychotic n-nature in you? Why am I still seeing that nice demeanor?"

After that, the man stops moving.

The murderer just smiles as he goes to the computer his victim had been using. He then brings out a flash drive from his pocket and inserts it in the slot. The computer's monitor is still on so there's no need for hacking. He finds the one he's looking for─a file the says  **Project**   **S.O.FT**. He then takes the files he need and says:

"Now that it's done, the  _real_ fun begins..."

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**IN** **THE**   **NAME**   **OF**   **DESPAIR**


	3. A Message From Despair

It's been three months since Makoto Naegi and his friends escape the School Life of Mutual Killing Game and join the Future Foundation. Since then, all of their memories of their life in Hope's Peak have been restored

Makoto looks at himself in the mirror as he reflects on that moment. How he joined in order to help spread Hope across the world. After all, he is the Super High School Level Hope. So far he's able to reach out to some people.

It may not be much, but sooner or later Hope triumph and that will be the end of Despair.

Having that thought, he smiles as he's ready for work. Wearing a business suit is kind of something to get used to. Especially since he technically just "graduated" from Hope's Peak Academy. He then leaves his quarters, ready to face another day. 

* * *

Makoto is now in his office as he starts doing what he needs to do. He works in the 14th Division. That division focuses on announcing the Future Foundation's activities to the public. This is so that the masses will be able to hold on to Hope.

As he works, he can hear the whispers of his co-workers. He is practically the youngest in the workplace. He's just 17 for crying out loud! 

They sound scared as they say:

"Have you heard of what happened last night?"

"Yes. Dr. and Mrs. Haru have been murdered. Their bodies were found last night."

"It's tragic. I heard that Hana had a sleeping pills overdose. While Tako was poisoned."

"What's happening?! Someone is out there killing us off."

"Just hope you're not next on the list."

Makoto also wonders with worry.

He still can't forget that night...

**_~~~_ **

_"_ _NOOOOO_ _!"_

_Makoto_   _woke_ _up_ _immediately_ _. His sweat_ _ran_ _down_ _his_ _face_ _with_ _his_ _green_ _eyes_ _widen_ _with_ _fear_ _._

_He_ _did_ _deep_ _breaths_ _to_ _ease_ _his_ _anxiety_ _._ _It_ _worked_ _,_ _if_ _only_ _for_ _a_ _moment_ _._ _He_ _still_ _heard_ _laughter echoing inside of him._

_The_ _cruel_ _laughter_ _of_ _Junko_ _Enoshima._

_"_ _Fall_ _into_ _despair_ _."_ _That's_ _what_ _she_ _said with her wide despairful grin._

_Even in a nightmare, he was useless. Not only he couldn't save his friends from being killed, he wasn't able to stop them from committing murder as well. All that blood shed, all that suffering...he couldn't stop it._

_He can't..._

_He decided to walk for a bit, hoping to shake off the fear he felt. As he walked in the halls, he passed by the Research Lab and noticed that the door was jammed shut and damaged._

_"That's odd..."_

_Curiosity took over as he forcefully opened the door._ _By the time he opened it, he fell on his rear end, completely shocked and scared by what he saw._

_"_ _AAHHH_ _!"_

_Tako_ _Haru_ _was before him, lifeless. His eyes were blank but his face showed_ _fear_ _, pain, and agony._

_"Oh my..."_

_The boy was speechless and had a hard time breathing. It took a while before he got back his strength and told the authorities about his discovery._

**_~~~_ **

Recently there have been a lot of anomalies. Members of the Future Foundation are slowly disappearing or their bodies are found a few days later. 

It's known as "His List". Not creative but it still gives a scary vibe.

It's the biggest issue so far. He wants to help, but he was told to stay out of it. Makoto sighs as he hopes for the best. Everything will work out in the end.

He is  ** _despairingly_**  mistaken. 

* * *

In a dark room, a shadow figure is typing something in a computer. He then presses SEND.

His blue eyes are happy as the file is successfully sent to where he wants it to be.

He smiles and says, "It's showtime." 

* * *

After work, Makoto goes for lunch.

"Man, I'm starving." He says. Who would've thought that sitting in his cubicle all day can make him hungry? It's been like this ever since he joined. Because he finds this unhealthy (and it makes him feel trapped), he would usually get some exercise. Anyway, he finally makes it to the cafeteria as he meets up with his friends.

"Makoto! Over here," Aoi Asahina shouts out to him. She's in the 13th Division now─ the Frontline Food and Resource Distribution.

Makoto sees her as he heads towards the table.

"Wow man, what took you so long?" Yasuhiro Hagakure asks. He's in the same division as Makoto.

Aoi and Yasuhiro are the only ones with him at the moment. Byakuya Togami is in Tokyo, trying to rebuild the Togami Empire and report to the Future Foundation about what's happening in other areas. Toko Fukawa is not exactly an official member of the Future Foundation. She still needs to prove that she can control Genocider Syo─ her murderous alter ego. She's with Byakuya right now (she snuck in his helicopter two days ago). Kyoko Kirigiri is...he has no idea. She's in the same division as him, but he hasn't seen her much since "His List" occurred.

"Sorry. I just finished my report and was about to hand it over when someone spilled hot coffee on it. I had to reprint it again, but the printer was not working so I had to search for a working one. It took forever. At least I passed it on time," Makoto says with a sigh.

"For a Super High School Level Hope, you sure have some bad luck," Aoi teases.

"Yeah..."

Just then, sounds of beeping can be heard as everyone turns their attention to the TV monitors in the cafeteria. The TV monitors are small screens that are all over the building. It only turns on for one reason: if the Future Foundation is broadcasting a report. The screens start to become static and a humming sound can be heard.

A video appears with a countdown.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

The program starts. But instead of a broadcast, it's a horror film coming to life.

Video clips of members from the Future Foundation killed are being played in high definition. They see a man stabbed by a shadowy figure. They see a woman hanging on the ceiling with a noose around her neck. They see so much more victims dying in various ways. Pink blood is shown all over the video.

"W-What is this?" Aoi asks with a fearful tone. Almost half of her face is as blue as her eyes.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Yasuhiro asks with the same scared expression.

"I don't understand. Who did this?" Makoto remarks with fear. His forehead beading with sweat and his eyes widen as he can't help but notice every little scary detail. He can't find the face of the murderer. It's either covered with darkness or it's pixelated.

The video now shows a woman who collapsed from a sleeping pill overdose and a man being painfully killed by poisonous coffee. And then...a face appears. A symbol that shakes everyone to the very core.

**"Oh pupupu..."**

"M-Monokuma?"

"AH!"

The clips end. Just as soon everyone thinks that it's over, a voice from the video suddenly says:

**"What do you think? I hope you like it. Despite my lack of editing skills, I tried my best to make this video and broadcast it for all of you to watch. I could've done it sooner, but I thought that I need to have enough footage and I need hype. You know? First impressions are important."**

A dark silhouette appears. However, his face is not shown. It's just a shadow. The voice sounds like it's owned by a young man like a few years older or younger than the survivors of Hope's Peak. The voice also sounds slightly robotic. The perpetrator must've filtered his voice to hide his identity.

"Who in the world is this? Making a video about his victims? This is sick!" Aoi says with fear and disgust.

**"How rude of me. I should introduce myself. My name** **is** **Takashi** **Nise** **and**   **I'm the one who ended those** **people's** **lives.**   **I made "His List" you all speak of. T** **hat's** **all** **you** **need** **to** **know** **."**

Everyone is shocked.

"What's happening?" Someone mumbles.

"Oh no... This can't be happening... Not again..." Makoto says, freaking out. He thought that he'll escape that feeling. The feeling that he is in another killing game. He thought that those days are over. But apparently, he's wrong.

**"I'll cut to the chase..."**

A video footage of the Future Foundation building is now on the screen. It looks like it's recorded in the air.

**"This is the** **Future** **Foundation** ─  **the** **so-called** **organization** **who claims that** **t** **hey'll** **bring** **back** **H** **ope** **into** **the** **world** **. How** ** _noble_** **of them. It is such an honor for me to be the one who'll end it. How ironic, don't you think? By trying to give someone a future, they lost their own. Well, you know what they say. In exchange for one's happiness, someone else has to suffer.**

****"What is wrong with him?" Aoi mumbles. "He's totally insane."

**"Keep this in mind. What you saw in this video is just the beginning. Slowly, painfully, and mercilessly I will continue what I'm doing. In the shadows, I will make sure that every single one of you will feel the very emotion that defines us all...DESPAIR!"**

****With that said, the TV monitors turn off leaving the people speechless and scared.

* * *

 Kyoko Kirigiri is in the crime scene where Tako Haru was murdered. She's been investigating ever since the first murder a month ago. So far, she doesn't have a solid conclusion but that will not stop her from solving this case. She is the Super High School Level Detective after all.

She reexamines the notes she took in her notebook. She's stumped. She can't figure out who this Takashi Nise is and his motive. All of the murder victims were alone with the killer. The cause of their deaths vary. There were also no traces of DNA of the killer. Kyoko then checks the computer that Mr. Haru used. She turns it on. As she looks through the data, there's something that catches her eye─a file that says...

"Project S.O.FT? That's mentioned somewhere in the other victims. That's strange. I never heard of such a project."

She clicks it but it's locked.

"Hmmm..." Kyoko grabs her flash drive and inserts the file in. She will eventually crack the code and figure out what's going on.


	4. In Memory Of

Ever since that video, the Future Foundation is experiencing difficulties. The number of terrorist attacks increases each day and riots are happening endlessly. The 14th Division tries its best to calm the masses. As Super High School Level Hope, Makoto Naegi would sometimes go to press conferences and say a few words. Whether or not it fills the hearts of the people hearing it is uncertain. Especially in these new circumstances.

That's just part of the problem.

The attacks of Takashi Nise never end. Like a shadow, he takes another life of a member of the Future Foundation. Investigations are taking place but it's leading them nowhere.

Makoto doesn't understand this person's motive but all he can do is try to figure him out based on the videos he keeps showing. All he can say is that Takashi Nise can be Junko Enoshima's brother. He keeps talking about Despair as if it's the most beautiful thing in the world. He also appears to be not shameful towards his murders either. He records footage of his victims and broadcasts it all over the world. He never shows his face. It's pixelated and the room where he probably film is dark.

In relation to that, the location of where he even makes his ghastly films remains a mystery. No matter how hard they try, the Future Foundation can't find the source of the airways or even stop it.

**"Hope is nothing more than a temporary and painful emotion. It gives you the illusion that everything is going to be okay even though it's not. For those of you who hold on to the Hope you love so much, tell me─ how is it working out for you? Did Hope save you from starvation? Did Hope keep you from getting sick? Did Hope stop people from killing your love ones? Hope doesn't have true power to change society. If it had, the world wouldn't be in this state by now."**

In this part, Takashi sounds like a person who is concerned. Like, he cares for the people's safety and wants to make them better people.

There's a short pause. Then...his voice comes back. This time it's filled with passion.

**"Despair, on the other hand, has the power to shape society to its gruesome image. It can create more wars and mayhem than Hope can ever achieve. It wakes people up from their elusive dreams and makes them confront reality. _Despair_  is the reality. If Hope is a dying star, Despair is the everlasting darkness. No one can escape it. It's only natural to give in to it. Why deny your fate when you could just accept it and fall on your knees."**

To Makoto, Takashi is very influential. Just a few days after that broadcast, there are new groups that follow Takashi's philosophy and cause mayhem across the city.

The most popular group is called "The Nise Society".

Call him a fool, but Takashi doesn't sound like a psycho. When he talks about Despair, he doesn't sound as obsessed about it as Junko. He says it as if he's casually talking to a friend about the newest video game or the best sportsman in the world. That's probably how he got supporters─ the killer gives off a friendly atmosphere that puts most people off guard.

* * *

One day, everyone is busy working. The sound of typing and whispers can be heard. Everyone is paranoid. They turn their heads at any possible angle, thinking that they'll be killed in a second. Makoto is no better. Dark shadows can be seen under his eyes. He hasn't been sleeping enough lately. Sometimes he would doze off. He's about to do so when the small TVs turn on. Not surprisingly, Takashi Nise's voice is heard

**"Hello. May I request that you give me your full attention? I promise that this will be short."**

_Not like we have a choice._  Makoto thoughts.

A photo then appears on the screen. It contains a man and a woman in their late twenties. The man has a black hairy beard and brown eyes while the woman has amber eyes and short brown hair.

**"I would like to honor the memory of Dr. and Mrs.** **Haru** **. They were members of the Future Foundation and both part of the 7th Division. They were good people. Before the Tragedy, they were psychiatrists. Former Super High** **School** **Level** **Psychiatrists** **. They strove hard to help their patients confront their fears and became a great help to society. Then, when Despair took over, they helped the Future Foundation by coming up with ways to cure people of Despair. They were a team. They were husband and wife. May their bonds be strong even after death. Let's have a moment of silence..."**

Takashi is silent.

In truth, Makoto doesn't really know the victims much. Maybe he saw them every once in awhile, but they never have a real talk. Despite that, however, Makoto is the type of guy who will feel grief towards the death of someone. Especially in this situation when the victims are murdered.

Makoto then notices that some of the staff members are crying. Is it because of Takashi's speech? Might be. The way he says it...it's like he's not the one who ended their lives. He sounds like a sincere mourner paying his respects.

As everyone is crying and wiping their tears, Takashi speaks again.

**"... Now that's out of the way, let's talk about the interesting part. What I admire about those people is how they were able to hide their secrets from anyone until they died."**

That confuses everyone.

"Secrets?" Makoto asks. He doesn't understand.

Suddenly, the TV screens reveal video clips. Clips of people being strapped in chairs, wearing hospital gowns. Then...those people start screaming.

_**"** _ _**AAHHHHHHH** _ _**!"** _

_**"MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!!!"** _

_**"NOT THAT! ANYTHING** _ **_BUT THAT!"_ **

The people in the video are shaking violently. Their eyes are widening and their veins can be seen. They are scream over and over again, wanting this to end. 

Makoto watches this with horror. Part of his face is blue from fear. Those people. They're being tortured! Then, the camera focuses on the person behind the torture. There's a man wearing a lab coat. He can't believe it. That's Dr. Haru. He then sees the psychiatrist injecting a purple liquid on a patient restrained on his seat. The man screams before he collapses. After a few seconds of silence, that man woke up and says like a zombie:

_**"** _ _**I** _ __ _**will** _ __ _**do** _ __ _**whatever** _ __ _**you** _ __ _**say** _ _**."** _

The video clips finally end, giving the viewers time to sink in all of those horror clips. Makoto can't believe in what he just watch. What was that about?

As if to answer his question, Takashi's voice pops out again.

**"** **Now** **I** **know** **what** **you're** **thinking** **.** **What** **was** **that** **?** **Well** **,** **what** **I** **just** **show** **you** **are** **security** **camera** **footage** **of** **the** **Harus** **'** **lab** **. Remember when I said that the married couple kept a secret? Let's start with Tako Haru's. Business for the Harus was running a bit too slow. So in order to get be customers, Dr. Haru kidnapped and tortured people!"**

Everyone is shocked.

**"He used to trap people in his lab and broke them. After that, those people became brainwashed. They would either turn into his new clients or caused traumatizing events to other people thus leading them to him."**

****"That's...just cruel," Makoto remarks. "This commemoration is actually his way of ruining their lives after death!"

**"** **Mrs** **.** **Haru** **,** **on** **the** **other** **hand** **,** **had** **no** **idea** **that** **her** **husband** **was** **doing** **this** **.** **But** **that** **doesn't** **make** **her** **innocent** **. Also attempting to keep their business going, she took out their competition...by torturing them and driving them insane! She made sure that there's no other firm, but her husband's in the area."**

****Everyone is silent. They are shocked beyond belief.

**"** **As** **I** **mentioned** **before** **,** **neither** **of**   **them** **had** **any** **idea** **that** **the** **other** **was** **doing** **drastic** **measures** **just** **to** **keep** **their** **business** **going** **.** **And** **neither** **of** **them** **felt** **any** **remorse** **for** **their** **actions** **.** **If** **they** **did** **,** **they** **should've** **surrendered** **themselves** **,** **right** **?** **Actually** **,** **when** **they** **worked** **for the** **Future** **Foundation** **,** **they** **used** **the** **data** **they** **gathered** **from** **their** **misdeeds** **.** **Do** **you** **want** **to** **know** **why** **they** **did** **something** **so** **inhumane** **? It's because they had _Hope_ They hoped that they can continue what they're doing for the rest of their lives. They hoped that their business will flourish. They hoped that everything will be fine in the end. It was because of Hope that made them decide to take matters into their own hands..."**

****Takashi pauses for a moment and continues.

**"** **For** **those** **who** **were** **their** **patients and loved ones, now you know. You now know that Dr. and Mrs. Haru probably brainwashed you or caused a horrible event that scarred you for life. You are now aware that you're actually victims of their Hope. If only the Harus fall into Despair, they wouldn't need to do that. They would accept the fact that their business will not make it and throw the towel. But they just want to find happiness. Even if it resulted in breaking the minds of innocent people."**

Hearing his say that makes Makoto's blood boil. This is just wrong. Takashi is blaming Hope. But then...why is it that he doesn't feel so enraged? Why can't he completely see Takashi as a Despair like Junko but like an innocent kid who never experienced the Tragedy?

**"I now directly address this to the Future Foundation. I know that you're the type who would go to the extremes just to remove--no! _Eliminate_ Despair. I have so much information at my disposal to prove that...but I'll show you another time. So tell me, what makes your Hope any better than my Despair? I mean, we practically used the same methods to express our belief--bullets, bombs, and propaganda. The only difference is that...you are plastic. At least my Despair is transparent--it shows how horrid it truly is. You keep saying that you'll help the people and give Hope, but are you really doing that? What makes you so certain that you are actually giving an impact. Maybe you should start by asking the masses this: Is the Future Foundation's Hope actually saving the world? Oops. I must've talked too much. Thank you for your time. See you around."**

The TV screens turn off.


	5. The Kitchen

It's past midnight as the sky is still dark blue in color. Everyone is still asleep.

Except him.

Inside a world class kitchen with the finest tools for the job, a man is seen cooking. He has a pale complexion with blue hair and red eyes. He's stirring a brown sauce in a soft fire as it slowly simmers. White smoke rises from the pot. He's making Beef Curry. He then puts some spices and tastes the curry.

"Perfect. Like always." He says arrogantly.

Then, footsteps are heard.

"Huh? Who's there?"

The intruder reveals himself from his hiding place. A boy with dark purple hair and blue eyes.

"I'm sorry that I disturbed you. I just wanted to see the amazing Hiro Nori in action," he says innocently. "I heard that you head the kitchens of the Future Foundation. Your dishes are amazing."

Hiro Nori then wears a boastful expression and says:

"Well, I don't blame you. No can help but stand in awe of the amazing former Super High School Level Chef Hiro Nori!"

"You see..." The stranger says hesitatingly. "I was hoping to have a cooking career when this war ends. I was wondering if you would critique my dish... With your expertise..."

"Very well," Hiro says quickly. "Show it to me."

The teen then brings out a small container. Inside it is a small pie.

Hiro then holds it and took a bite.

"I see... Chicken pie. The chicken is too dry and the crust is falling apart but other than that it's OK."

"Oh, I get it now. Thank you so much, sir! You really are amazing! No one can surpass such amazing talent. Not only that, you're part of the 4th Division thanks to your chemistry-like cooking skills," the intruder says with sincere praise.

"You can praise me as much as you want," Hiro says with his ego growing.

"Of course. Praise is what you always desire," the stranger says with a smile. He then gives Hiro a strange smirk. He throws files on the ground.

The chef picks one of the papers.

"What the...?"

He gasps. It's a news clipping. It's about a festival in Hope's Peak five years ago. The headlines are in a red bold font and all CAPS.

** MAJOR FOOD POISONING IN HOPE'S PEAK FESTIVAL! **

** COINCIDENCE OR SABOTAGE? **

  
Hiro looks at the strange teen for answers. The latter decides to comply.

"Like I said, you  _love_  praise. You  _crave_  for it. Why else did you eliminate your competition in such cruel ways? Like...food poisoning perhaps?"

Hiro Nori becomes strangely pale.

"I-I have no idea on what you're talking about. Who are you, really?"

"Hahaha. Here I was so excited for this meeting that I forgot to introduce myself. Sorry about that."

He then lets out his hand and wears a bright smile.

"My name is Takashi Nise. Nice to meet you."

Hire suddenly shudders in fear.

T-Takashi Nise?! The Despair who is hiding within the shadows of the Future Foundation and killing everyone off for the past few months?! And now he's greeting him like it's an ordinary day? Unbelievable!

_Oh no! I'm in "His List"!_

"Anyway, let's get back to business, shall we? You don't have to hide it from me. I know it was you."

The chef then lets out a huff.

"Then I'm afraid you are mistaken! You have no proof."

Hiro glows with confidence. What evidence does this boy have for such an accusation?

Takashi just smiles at him innocently and answers:

"Here are the pieces of evidence that led to my conclusion."

He then throws files to Hiro. The chef reads it only to have his eyes widen.

"W-What? How?"

"To tell you the truth, it was quite difficult to uncover. So many circumstantial evidence and whatnot. Though, I pulled through in the end. That's right. All those documents, photos, videos, and more all point to you."

The man in question is speechless. His past... His regret... It's revealed! Wait! With all of this...if he could somehow burn them all...

"Oh and don't think about burning the evidence. I have tons of backup copies." The teen smiles embarrassingly.

"What? How did you...?"

"It's quite a shame, you know? You were so focused on being praised that...you did this. I just can't believe that you did something so inhumane. You're not even guilty of it. How tragic. I wonder what will happen if people found out about this. Who knows..."

"It wasn't my fault!" Hiro suddenly screams.

"Sorry?" Takashi asks, confused.

The chef looks surprisingly panicky.

"Before the festival, everyone in my class was mocking me. They were...they were jealous of my talent so they bullied me constantly! Do you have any idea how it feels like to be bullied just because you lived near a mountain!? It was horrible I tell you! They thought my skills are nothing so I decided to get back at them by making their food taste sour. A harmless prank. That's all it was.

"It was quite easy to pull off. No one in my class was responsible so they just lay their ingredients out in the open. So on the day of the festival, I switched the contents of each stall's salt shaker with a special concoction I made. It was supposed to make you taste something horrendous the moment it touches your tongue. I thought it will humiliate them. But then...everyone got incredibly ill. I didn't mean for this to happen!"

Takashi looks sorry for him.

"I get it. You desired justice so you wanted to give your enemies what you think they deserved. You didn't mean to food poison everyone."

"Yes. I regret it every single day."

"Oh really?"

His sapphire eyes seem to glow with blood lust.

"W-What do you mean?"

"If you really are so guilty, you would have confessed your crimes. But you didn't. You just let those innocent people suffer without knowing who was the cause. I read somewhere that the doctors struggled to cure the victims. It nearly killed them. It's a miracle that everyone's alive, but what would happen if that's not the case?"

"Well─"

"It doesn't matter if you never intended to poison them. You wanted to harm them anyway, right? You wanted to ruin them because you couldn't admit that they might be more talented than you. You wanted people to think that you are the better chef. You knew that the people who have  _nothing_  to do with your petty revenge will be affected. If you put it that way, that makes you...a  _murderer_."

Silence fills the air. The chef is seen shivering and shuddering.

"A murderer, huh?" Hiro starts. "That's sweet coming from you!"

"Oh me?" Takashi asks innocently.

"That's right! Don't forget that you are the killer, not me! Get it?!"

"Ooohhh. So that's what you mean," Takashi responds with a cheerful laugh. "Don't get the wrong idea. I admit that I am a murderer. I'm just not like you. I don't hide my guilt. I don't make excuses. No big deal."

 _He makes it sound like a normal joke!_ Hiro thoughts. Suddenly, as if his body has fallen asleep, he involuntarily falls to the ground.

"W-What is this?" No matter how hard he tries, Hiro can't move at all. He can't feel his body. All he can do is watch his attacker smiling at him innocently.

"Remember the chicken pie? Sorry but it's filled with a nasty poison. It took a while to activate. That's why we've been talking this long. Speaking of which, let's get this over with."

"O-Over with? What do you mean?"

Takashi starts laughing heartily.

"That's funny. I thought seeing my videos would give you an idea of what I'm about to do. Why else am I here?"

At that moment, it hit Hiro.

"I'm going to die," he speaks in a whisper.

Takashi then comes towards him.

"D-Don't come any closer!"

The latter doesn't listen. He then places his body closer to the floor to look at Hiro properly.

"Do you hear that?" He asks.

"Hear what?" The chef asks, frightened and powerless.

"The acids raging through your body? The sound of your bones being dissolved? Isn't it wonderful? The best part is that the moment it has done its job the air will simply dissolve it, making it undetectable. I'm so amazed that this poison...is made by  _you_. The same one in the festival. The only difference is that no one will save you. You can say that it's a taste of your own medicine."

"No... It can't be! I got rid of everything!"

"Not exactly. During my investigation, I saw a small vial that contained something interesting. Apparently, you missed it."

His right-hand goes inside one of Hiro's pockets and grabs a notebook. He opens it and reads the contents.

** PROJECT S.O.FT. **

He smiles as he rips the rest of the pages out of the notebook and drops the remains.

"No... No..." Hiro speaks up. His throat hurting all the way. "Why are you doing this?"

Takashi looks at him with a serious look. He then says cheerfully.

"Why? Everything I do is for the wonderful and gruesome Despair! Now then...farewell Hiro Nori."


	6. Haunted By Memories

Makoto is alone in a red and black world. The floor is like an endless abyss that makes him feel like he's floating. The atmosphere is cold and lonely like a desolate world drained of life.

"Where am I?" He asks.

"Makoto."

"Huh?" He searches for the source. "Who's there?"

"Hihihi. I'm over here, silly."

Makoto turns and is shocked to see a girl at his age with long blue her and blue eyes. But that's impossible. She should have been...

"Sayaka Maizono?" Makoto then goes closer to her.

"Is it really you?"

Sayaka responds with a smile.

He can't believe it. The last time he saw her was during that awful killing game. She was murdered by Leon Kuwata. Until this day, Makoto is still heartbroken by this. After he got back his memories of his life at Hope's Peak, he remembered those times he was nervous around her. How he used to blush when she says something nice about him. And those times when he wanted to tell her how he truly feels. He knows that it's his fault for her death. If only he figured out that Sayaka was struggling, she would still be around right now.

Makoto is crying.

"What's wrong?" Sayaka asks.

He then hugs her.

"It's just that... I missed you so much," Makoto says, not holding back his tears and hugging her tightly. He doesn't want to let her go. Not like last time.

Everything is silent...  
  
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"Then why did you let me die?" Sayaka suddenly whispers in his ear.

"Huh?"

The deceased Super High School Level Idol then pushes him away.

"S-Sayaka...?"

The shadows of Sayaka's bangs are covering her eyes. 

"You promised that we're all in this together. What happened to that? If time were to rewind on that day...

She looks at Makoto directly. Her blue eyes are cruel and bitter.

"It should've been  ** _you_**."

Makoto doesn't get what's going on. Why? Why is Sayaka saying these things?

"Why you, Makoto? Why is it that a nobody like you is still alive while those who had a bright future died cruelly and horribly. So in a way, that makes you a  ** _murderer_**."

The boy's green eyes widen, almost losing its color. He can't stand those words.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you. I never want it to end that way. I really wanted to save you and everyone!" He exclaims. "I..."

Tears start to run down his face some more.

"That's the problem," Sayaka hisses with her charming smile. "Your optimism brings people up but then reality kicks in and knocks them down harder than normal. Yes...that's makes you a murderer. That means you deserve to  ** _die_**."

Suddenly, shadows rise from the ground as they surround Makoto in a circle. Then, the shadows reveal their identity─ his deceased classmates staring him down with blank eyes.

"W-What's going on?" He asks with fear in his voice.

The floor beneath him then melts away, making him slowly sink into the bottom. Makoto realizes that the ground melted into...blood.

Thick, pink blood is sucking Makoto in as he struggles to get out of it.

"Guys, help! I'm sinking!"

But no one responds. Instead, they just stare at him with no emotion.

"Guys...help...please..." He says, struggling to not swallow the blood but no one moved.

His head is now disappearing in the pool of blood. He can see Sayaka smile at him cruelly before everything turns into darkness.

* * *

"AAAHHHH!!!"

Makoto wakes up immediately as his face is beading with sweat. He can feel his heart beating quickly. He struggles to breathe.

"It's just a nightmare, Makoto. Just like the others," he says to himself.

But no matter how many times he reassures himself, he can't sleep. More rather, he's afraid of seeing Sayaka's smile again.

* * *

 It's the next day and everyone is heading to the cafeteria.

"Finally it's time for lunch!" Aoi says happily.

She and Makoto are walking in the hallway.

"Yeah I'm starving  _*_ _yawn_ _*_ ," Makoto says. He then stops in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Aoi asks.

"I have to go back. I forgot to do something. You can go ahead."

Makoto then runs.

* * *

Everyone is eating in the cafeteria. However, they are as paranoid as ever. It's hard to blame them. Takashi Nise is killing them off one by one. The newest broadcast is not helping either.

A photo of a man with blue hair, red eyes, and a pale complexion appears on the screen.

 **"** **Hiro** **Nori** **. He was a Super High School Level Chef. A well-known artist for his exotic dishes and delicacies. In the Future Foundation, he was from the 4th Division. He used his chemistry-like cooking skills to whip up medications that helped a lot. He was great at his work...but**   **not with** **others** **.**

 **"He** **believed** **that** **he** **was** **the** **best** **and** **no** **one** **can** **be** **like** **him** **. Fearing that someone would one day surpass him** **,** **he** **tampered** **with** **the** **other** **chefs'** **food** **with** **his** **strange** **concoctions** **during festival time in** **Hope's** **Peak** **Academy**.  **It will not simply make** **their** **food disgusting. Oh no. It will take them to the hospital! Isn't that**   **terrible** **?** **Potential** **chefs** **and people** **became** **severely sick** **because** **Hiro** **hoped** **for** **perfection** **and** **being** **on top** **."**

No one can say that he's lying either. Takashi reveals tons of evidence of his claims through sending a package of documents, videos, and photos. They are definitely legit. Not only that, the way Takashi speaks and behaves appears sincere and honest. He sounds like someone who is a sad witness to a murder.

Who will be next? Who will die today? Those questions are swirling in the minds of the people.

"Anyway, I did a quick reading with my crystal ball and I am certain that─ hey, are you OK?" Yasuhiro asks. He notices that Makoto is dozing off. He nearly puts his face onto his beef curry.

"Huh? Oh. Sorry. You were saying?" Makoto asks, sounding exhausted.

"Seriously? You nearly fall asleep for the past 5 minutes. Are you sure you're OK?"

"Of course I'm fine. I just felt a little tired, that's all," Makoto says.

"You do realize you're a horrible liar, right?"

Now what? What should he say? He's been having nightmares of his dead friends wanting him to die and that he's afraid to sleep ever since?

"Well..."

"Anyway, where's Aoi? She should've been here like ages ago," Yasuhiro says.

"Oh yeah..." Now that he thinks about it, Aoi isn't here. He could've sworn that she went ahead of him.

A scary thought then crosses in Makoto's mind.

 _What_ _if_ _Takashi_ _got_ _to_ _her_ _?_ _What_ _if_ _..._

An image of his friend laying lifeless in the ground appears in his imagination. In a panic, he stands up and runs.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Makoto doesn't listen as he continues to run. He's looking for Aoi.

"Where are you?" He asks. He's about to take a left turn when─

* * *

 _"Makoto_ _..._ _Can_ _you_ _hear_ _me_ _?"_

Makoto slowly opens his eyes. In front of him is Kyoko.

"K-Kyoko?"

"Are you alright?" She asks.

He then notices white and blue sheets and a glass cabinet filled with bottles. He finds himself on a bed.

He's in the Infirmary.

"I'm fine. What happened? How did I get here?"

"You collapsed in the hallway. Yasuhiro carried you here. The doctor said that you were apparently exhausted and lacked sleep. Yasuhiro said that he saw you've been struggling to stay awake lately. Why is that?"

One look at Kyoko's purple eyes makes Makoto know that no lie can pass her. Especially since he's not a good liar. He decides to tell her the truth.

"You see...ever since we got out of Hope's Peak, I've been having nightmares. Every night I would see our former classmates staring at me, blaming me for what happened to them. They haunt me in my dreams. That's why I'm afraid to fall asleep. I just can't help but feel guilty. I should've done something to help them. So when I heard that Aoi's not around, I panicked."

As Makoto is telling his story, the lavender-haired girl listens to it intently. She doesn't show any reaction or interrupt him. She just listens until she can understand her friend's struggle. She then thinks about it and says:

"I won't pretend that I understand how you feel. But you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened. It's sad but we can't turn back time. What we can do now is to move forward with hope. Not just for our sakes but for those who didn't have that chance."

Makoto looks at her with awe and admiration.

"You're right. I shouldn't have to think like that. Thank you for the advice," Makoto says.

"It was you who first said that during the Killing Game. Don't forget that. Oh yes, to ease your nerves, Aoi's fine. She was here and left a few minutes before you."

"Oh, that's a relief. Wait, why was she here?" Makoto asks.

"She was the one who found Hiro Nori's body in the kitchen and was feeling sick after that. But enough with that. What really matters is that you should get some rest."

Before he can react, his body becomes limp as he goes back to the land of dreams.

* * *

 Kyoko is in the kitchen where Hiro Nori was killed. She is looking for clues.

She finds a notebook and picks it up. 

"No finger prints..."

She opens it and notices this:

** PROJECT S.O.FT **

Kyoko checks it out.

 _After_ _months_ _of_ _testing_ _,_ _Test_ _127_ _is_ _proven to be_ _successful_ _._ _It_ _is_ _able_ _to_ _enter_ _a_ _human's_ _system_ _and_ _DNA_ _,_ _giving_ _access_ _for_ _modification_ _._

 _The modifications include_ ─

 

The rest is gone. Apparently, the murderer took it. Just like the others, there's a mention of this unknown project. Which means that Takashi isn't killing at random. He wants whatever this project is.

 


	7. Soldier Drama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One month ago...

A man in his late twenties is in his office. He has brown hair and dark brown eyes. He is wearing a soldier's uniform that's pinned with various medals for his deeds. 

On his desk is a map with a route marked with red ink. It leads to a harbour at the edge of the city. He is planning the next attack against the Remnants of Despair. He just heard that they are currently in a harbour to deliver some weapons. He considers a surprise attack from─

"It's not going to work. They'll spot you in an instant. Remember, they have eyes all over the city."

"Who's there?" The soldier brings his gun out.

"No need to fear."

The shadow reveals himself. The man lowers his gun.

"Oh. I know you. You're the new guy, right?"

Of course, how could he have forgotten about the new recruit who joined recently?

"You can say that. You're Captain Yuri Yukimura, correct? Sorry for bothering you, but I was told to give you this."

He shows a wrapped package. Yuri looks at it for a moment and takes it.

"That's alright. I was having a break anyway. Anyway, what's your name?"

"I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" The other reacts with an embarrassed chuckle. "You can call me... Takashi Nise."

"Nice to meet you, Takashi."

They both salute each other. The captain doesn't understand why but there's a friendly atmosphere around this guy. It's like he can trust him.

"You sure made a lot of plans," Takashi says, looking through the scattered maps and notes on top of the desk.

"Yeah. When it comes to being a leader, I need to make sure that my comrades will be able to make it out alive in case of danger. Making plans are necessary," Yuri says with determination.

"I see... You really care about your team, don't you?"

"Yes. I do."

Takashi just smiles at him as he goes toward the door.

"Well, it's sad that you have to carry all of the burdens by yourself. If only you have a right-hand man. You know? Someone as amazing as Haruto Hiroshi."

That causes Yuri to be off guard.

"What?"

The teenager stops.

"It was a shame that he disappeared. At least that's what I heard."

"Y-Yeah. He was a great man," the soldier answers sadly.

"Yes. I heard that he was loyal, intelligent, and a man of honor."

"That's true."

"He trusted you with the bottom of his heart. Even on that mission...the one where he never returned from."

"What?" Yuri says in shock. "How did you...hold on. You're not the new recruit. Who are you, really?"

Takashi then looks at him directly in the eyes. His sapphire eyes drilling into Yuri's scared brown ones.

"I have a confession to make. I am not the new recruit. The real one is...you don't want to know. But enough about me. Let's get back on track. That mission. The way you reacted...it was a secret, wasn't it? No one else but you and him knew about it. That's why everyone didn't know about Mr. Hiroshi's whereabouts. But why kept it a secret? Oh yes... You wanted to commit  _ **murder**_."

Yuri's eyes widen.

Takashi then reveals a couple of envelopes. That causes Yuri to panic.

"Where did you get those?"

"These are the letters you found on Haruto's room. I took it from your dorm on my way to your office. All of them came from one person─ Ai Yukimura. What do you know? That's the name of your wife, isn't it?"

Yuri can barely breathe. He is aware that this person is taunting him with his secret. But at the same time...not. The way Takashi says it. It's like he's having a normal conversation.

"Apparently, they were in a middle of a romantic affair. Mrs. Yukimura felt neglected so she developed an affection for your right-hand man. Since then, they were writing to each other. And then...you found out. Instead of settling it like a man, you chose a very rough path by sending your most trusted friend on a mission that will inevitably kill him."

Yuri has enough of this. He decides to defend himself. "You have no idea what I've been through! I did that to─"

 "You wanted to gain back your wife's affection by taking him out of the picture. Isn't that accurate?" The teen asks. "But in the end, it's all in vain. Shortly after discovering Mr. Hiroshi's death, your wife committed suicide. You want me to expound on that? I guess not."

"Why are you doing this?"

That question makes Takashi look at him darkly. He could've sworn that he's seeing a red glint in Takashi's left eye. Takashi then lets out a happy laugh and answers with a casual tone:

"Isn't it obvious? To watch you despair. I know that you value your friendship with him so much that his death haunts you till this day. Even though you killed him, you still feel guilty for what you have done."

He then puts his face so close to Yuri's that he can feel his rapid breathing.

"When it comes to the death of a love one, you can never forget. You will always look back. You will always be haunted by him. I wonder if Haruto is watching us right now. I can only imagine the shock he had when he found out that you betrayed him. Will he ever forgive you for what you had done? Will anyone for that matter view you differently when they found out?""

"No...please...stop..." Yuri begs on his knees. "I will do anything!"

Takashi then moves away from the desperate soldier before him.

"Just bear with me for a bit and tell me honestly. I heard that you were involved with a project. A secret one to be exact. Not even the Chairman and the Second in Command are aware of it. And I know that you know what I'm talking about."

Yuri doesn't respond.

"Tell you what? If you spill the beans now, I'll never mention our conversion to anyone. They will forever see Hiroshi as a lost hero and you'll still be respected. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Yuri is actually considering the offer. He can't underestimate the guy's abilities. After all, he does know his secret. Should he refuse the offer, he might be shamed for life. He can't stand that feeling.

He takes a deep breath. He decides to give in. Just this once, right?

"Yes. There's a project that a certain group of people including myself is working on. It's called Project S.O.FT. It's intended to be a solution for the despair problem. I was supposed to give intense training regimens to the soldiers involved. So that they can handle the project."

"Anything else?"

"This."

Yuri shows a list.

"This is a list of the people involved with the project. That's all I know—"

A crystal ball suddenly hits him in the head. The impact makes him lose his balance as he falls to the ground.

His head is bleeding.

The other guy then takes the paper and aims a gun at his head.

"For a soldier, you sure are easy to pick pocket from. I took your gun before you even blinked."

"What...are you...doing? We have a deal!"

"Did we now? Well, that's what you get for trusting others without guarantee of profit. You should have known this already. That's what you did to Haruto Hiroshi. You took advantage of his trust in you and that led to his demise. Tell me? Isn't it  _ **despairing**_  to die the same way as him?"

Yuri is crying.

"Thought so. Thank you for the info by the way. Now I can use it."

"For what?"

He responds with a laugh.

"For despair of course."

Yuri's eyes widen with horror.

"What have you done? You did it again. You betrayed the Future Foundation. I guess that you're a traitor in nature," Takashi taunts.

"Then what makes you any better than me?" Yuri asks. "I did what I did because I fear losing her. You on the other hand, do horrible acts in the name of despair— "

"I never said that I'm better than you. I don't even have a significant existence in the first place. I am not as amazing as you but I am good with words. And with Despair as my guide, I will plant its seeds and create a world where everyone can be the worst of themselves!"

At that moment, Yuri can see the aura of Takashi Nise. He can see that silhouette of a teenage girl with blonde hair and mad blue eyes. Junko Enoshima.

"You'll never get away with this. You will fail!"

Takashi then aims the gun and points it to Yuri's head. He then says with a sweet smile:

"I knew you'll say that. But we'll never know, right? All we can do is watch as everything starts to unfold. And congratulations! You get to watch it all happen in the afterlife! Good bye, Yuri Yukimura. It's been a pleasure talking to you."

* * *

"Yasuhiro, are you sure you lost your crystal ball? You might have left it i your room," Makoto asks.

"Yeah dude. I can't find it anywhere," the psychic answers, still looking. 

"Oh. Ow...my stomach... I think I need to use the restroom," Makoto says as he's feeling his pain.

And with that, he leaves Yasuhiro alone.

"OK..."

Yasuhiro continues his search. He then notices glass fragments on the ground.

He then sees that it leads to a door. He slowly opens it.

"Hello... Anybody home?"

He then notices a part of his crystal ball.

"Oh, there it is—AHHHH!"

In front of him is a dead body on the floor. A pool of pink blood is then shown dripping off from the head.

The psychic runs in panic, unaware of a shadow figure video recording everything.


	8. The Hypothesis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to the present...

The next day, Makoto is finally out of the Infirmary as he goes back to work. Kyoko said that they will talk again later on so until then he has to do his thing.

The rest of the day is practically normal. Takashi broadcasts another video. A photo of a man with brown hair and dark brown eyes is shown on screen.

**"Yuri** **Yukimura** **. He's the first person I killed. I could've talked about him ages ago, but I don't think I'll make a lot of impact if I just murdered one person, right?** **That's why I waited this long.** **Well technically I killed a new soldier recruit by feeding him to the wild dogs, but he died just five hours after Yuri's death and he's unimportant to report about. Though I can** **still feel goosebumps from his agonizing death. It's truly despairing how he's being gnawed at over and over again like a life-sized chew toy, feeling helpless and alone. It makes me feel─oops! I went out of topic. Back to the main point.**

**"Mr. Yukimura was the Super High School Level Fighter. After that, he's part of the 6th Division as a soldier. He was very good at his job and even a leader of his own squad. They respected him as well as he displayed good leadership. Sadly...the glory days ended too soon. Even before he died. Some time during his work in the Future Foundation, he found out that his wife was having a romantic affair with his right-hand man** ─  **Haruto** **Hiroshi."**

Haruto Hiroshi? He's one of the top soldiers in the 6th Division. He was an excellent marksman and strategist. But then...during the School Life of Mutual Killing Game, he disappeared. At least that's what Makoto heard when he tried to make friends with the young members of the 6th Division. He can still feel that bruise from that day.

 **"Now I heard that Mr. Hiroshi has been missing for quite sometime now and you all have no idea why. Well, long story short, Mr.** **Yukimura**   **killed him. He was furious at him for taking his wife's affection away from him so he sent him on a mission...that was guaranteed to take his life. What a cliche. It reminded me of this mystery** **novel** **a** **friend** **of** **mine** **told** **me** **about... Anyway, back to the point. Why didn't anyone knew about this? That's simple to answer. The poor lad was told to keep it a secret. He trusted his leader so much that he listened to him. What a tragedy. With all matters aside, Trust is the villain in this story. Hope is like you're trusting your very life to someone without any foreseen guarantee of happiness. Despair, however, is different. Although it's chaotic, it will always lead to someone's** **suffering** **."**

That guy. If only Makoto has the opportunity to teach him a lesson...

* * *

After hours of work, Makoto meets up with Kyoko at the Research Lab—it has not been used since Dr. Haru's murder.

"So Kyoko, what do you want to talk about?" He asks.

The detective faces him.

"I have been doing my own private investigation on the subject and came up with a theory on who Takashi Nise is."

"Really?"

"I don't want to jump into conclusions just yet but the way the murders are played out...it seems that there is a mole in the Future Foundation."

That surprises Makoto.

"What?"

"I'm still investigating on that but it's the most logical explanation I can think of. I rechecked the murder reports to see what they have in common. So far, the victims were murdered inside the building. No outsider can enter unless a member of the Future Foundation lets them," Kyoko explains. "Also, the victims he chose seemed really thought out. It's as if he targeted these people from the very beginning. When I read their profiles and listened to the broadcasts, I noticed that the victims had either committed crimes or were suspected for one. It might be that Takashi chose them because he wanted to make an example out of them that one's hope brings suffering to others."

"That is possible," Makoto says, remembering the number of times Takashi mentions it.

"If my hypothesis is correct, Takashi Nise is probably the killer's pseudonym. That name doesn't exist in the organization's files."

She's right, but...

"Why would anyone do such a thing?" Makoto asks.

"Whoever did this is probably on the side of Despair in the first place. If my hypothesis is correct, then Takashi's plan is to destroy the Future Foundation from the inside. If this person is not stopped, all of the work to bring hope back will go to waste."

Makoto tries to sink in this new information. Takashi Nise is among the members of the Future Foundation. Then Kyoko says:

"I'm still working on my theory. I don't want people to panic on simply a possibility. The reason why I told you all this is because I trust you the most. Promise me that you'll not tell anyone about this. Even to our friends. I need to investigate it further."

Makoto is a bit hesitant. Keeping a secret as big as this? But... Kyoko asks him to keep it a secret. He trusts her so...

"OK. I promise that I'll not tell anyone. Just be careful, OK?" He responds with a smile.

"I will. And one more thing I need to mention. When I checked the computer Tako Haru was using before he died, I noticed a locked file named Project S.O.FT. I also noticed that name within the possessions of the other victims."

"Do you know what Project S.O.FT is?" Makoto asks.

"Unfortunately no. It seems like whoever made this project doesn't want anyone else to find out. I think that the killer want to get his hands on it."

"I see."

And with that, the meeting is over...with no one aware of a small monochrome bear microphone recording the entire conversation.

* * *

Makoto is walking in the halls as he thinks of what Kyoko said. If what she said is really what's happening, someone is hiding in the Future Foundation to destroy them and their hope. He won't let that happen. He can't let that madman continue. Because if that happens, it won't be a matter of time before his friends will be in danger...

He then looks at his watch. It's midnight.

"How did it get so late?  _*yawn*_ I need to get some sleep."


	9. Bloodshed

It is now past midnight as everyone heads to their quarters. Because of the Tragedy, the employees' homes are destroyed so the Future Foundation provides them a dorm for them to stay until the war ends. It's in the two bottom most floors of the building.

For security reasons, those floors only open with certain conditions. For instance, when a male employee goes in the elevator and wants to go to his quarters, he shows his ID card. He will then need a retinal and finger print scan to continue. The button that leads to the male's dorm will glow and thus be accessible while the one that leads to the women's dorm will remain dim and unusable. That goes the same with women.

Neither of them can have access to the dorms that are opposite to their gender. If both genders are in the same elevator and want to go to their dorms, then a certain protocol happens that keeps them from going to the wrong floor. If someone is found in the wrong dorm, then that person receives a penalty.

That's how the dormitory floors work.

* * *

A woman in her late twenties is in her room, laying in bed. She has long raven black hair and green eyes. She's wearing a periwinkle nightgown. Her glasses can be seen on the desk next to her bed.

It's already past midnight yet she can't sleep. Probably it's the murders that cause it. Or is it something else?

"Don't worry Rue," she says to herself. "According to that video, Takashi Nise is a male. Even with his skills, he can't come in here. Yes. He can't come in here..."

She looks at her clock. It's 1:00 am.

"See? He's not getting in here."

With that in mind, she attempts to go to sleep. She's about to close her eyes when—

The door opens. Rue is scared. A shadowy figure is coming closer to her.

"Hi. I'm right on time. Man's honor."

"Are you... Takashi Nise?" Rue asks with confusion. She is surprised that he really is able to come to the women's dorm.

"That's right," Takashi says.

"But...how is it possible that—wait. I never thought that you are..."

"Looks can be deceiving. Sorry for the misconception," Takashi says, feeling embarrassed. For a second there, Rue almost see him as a nice guy. He doesn't look like a stalker or a psycho.

"A-Anyway, what do you want? I saw the video message you sent me. You said you wanted something."

"Oh yes, let's get to business. You're Kurumi Amano─the Financial Manager, right? I've heard that your job is to handle the finances and the Future Foundation's resources. Isn't it amazing that this organization still has so much money even when the world is coming to an end? But then, I noticed that a lot of money is gone or spent on secret matters. Not even Mr. Tengan or Mr. Munakata knows about it. Do you perhaps, know what's going on?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Rue says, slightly sweating with nervousness.

"Oh really?" Takashi asks, really confused. "Because the documents I got from Mr. Haru say otherwise."

He then reveals a folder that says:

**PROJECT** **S** **.O.FT**

Rue's eyes widen.

"Where did you─"

"He was nice enough to give it to me. Anyway, this is a list of materials that apparently Mr. Haru requested. They are kind of expensive and requires a huge budget. And look! It's your signature of approval."

Half of Rue's face is blue with horror.

"What's weird is that you didn't even informed the chairman about this. What are you up to? What is this Project S.O.FT? You see, that piece of information is locked and I'm not an excellent hacker. I tried to ask the others but...we didn't reach a consensus. If you don't tell...I might tell everyone about your little spree. Or I just might end you. Which one brings you the most despair?"

"Y-You can't do that. No one will believe a person like you. And if you try to kill me, I will scream and everyone will hear you. You will be arrested."

The intruder just smiles and say, "That's fine with me. I'll manage. Where this is going, I think that I'll get both."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, a fire alarm starts to ring out all over the dormitory floor. A loud female robotic voice then says:

 **"** ** Attention all staff members. This is a fire drill. Please proceed to the evacuation points near you. Attention all staff members. This is a fire drill. Please proceed to the evacuation points near you... ** **"**

"Is this your doing?" Rue asks.

Takashi doesn't say a word but only smile.

* * *

Aoi hears the alarm as she gets out of bed.

"What's going on? A fire drill at this time?"

She then exits her room as she sees the other female employees heading to the evacuation points. She then sees Kyoko.

"Hey!"

She then goes towards her as she says:

"What's going on?" Aoi asks.

Kyoko thinks about it at a moment as she says, "Something isn't right. There was never a fire drill scheduled at this time. Not only that, it seems like only this floor received the fire alarm."

"What do you mean?"

"I called Makoto just a minute ago."

**~~~**

_Kyoko_ _dialed_ _Makoto's_ _number_ _with_ _her_ _phone_ _._ _Her_ _phone_ _then_ _received_ _a_ _couple_ _of_ _beeps_ _when_ _Makoto_ _finally_ _picked_ _up_ _._

 _"_ _H-Hello_ _? "  A yawn can be heard from the other end._

 _"_ _Makoto_ _,_ _you_ _didn't_ _hear_ _an_ _alarm_ _,_ _d_ _id_ _you_ _?"_

 _"_ _No_ _._ _Why_ _?_ _Is_ _there_ _something_ _wrong_ _?"_

 _"_ _Nothing_ _._ _I_ _just_ _needed_ _to_ _confirm_ _something_ _."_

**~~~**

"Normally, the whole building should hear the fire alarm if there really is a fire drill. However, the fire alarm only rang in this floor."

"Does that mean that someone hijacked the alarm system?" Aoi asks.

"That's a possibility. But why?"

Kyoko then notices a small trace of blood leaking out of the gaps of a door. It's unlocked. Kyoko does some precautions before she slowly opens it.

The room is neat, if it wasn't for the small pool of blood on the floor. Right in front of the girls is a woman laying dead face down on the floor. Kyoko analyzes the body and confirm that the person was Kurumi Amano and she died from a gunshot on the back. She then looks through Kurumi's possessions and notices a journal. She looks at the contents and sees this entry:

 _Project_   _S_ _.O.FT_ _is_ _set_ _into_ _motion_ _._ _We_ _are_ _now_ _in_ _the_ _experimental_ _phase_ _._

"What is this project exactly?" Kyoko asks herself.

"Who would do this?" Aoi asks.

The TV monitors suddenly turn on. A black silhouette is seen on screen.

 **"** **Good** **morning** **Future** **Foundation** **!** **A** **t** **exactly**   **1:30 AM**   **I** **claimed** **the** **life** **of** **former** **Super** **High** **School** **Level** **Treasurer** **Kurumi** **Amano** **. Before the Most Despair Inducing Incident in the History of Mankind, she was a Hope's Peak Council Member and helped budgeted all of the school's festivals and student programs. Then, when she joined the Future Foundation, she made sure that its money and resources are used properly and efficiently. She was like a financial adviser."**

The voice of Takashi Nise can be heard all over the building. The video then shows a picture of Kurumi's lifeless body.

"He even took a photo? He's sick!" Aoi exclaims.

 **"Sadly, she has a lot of scandalous secrets. During her time in Hope's Peak, there was an issue in** **the** **student** **budget and they have to cancel a very anticipated School Festival. Ms.**   **Amano** **acted as if she had nothing to do with it, but she lied.**

 **"The truth is that her family was having a financial crises. Because of this, she took most of the money from the Student Council budget to pay for her mother's hospital fees. It appeared like an unselfish and desperate action but isn't it still unfair? In exchange for her mother's life, she wasted the hard work, sweat, and tears of those who raised the money in the first place. Now there's the present matter. Or past, since she's dead. Anyway, during her work in the Future Foundation, she owed a shady group of people money. You want to know what she did? S** **he stole more that ¥ 30** **million** **from** **this** **institution.** **"**

Everyone is shocked.

"So that explains it," Kyoko says. Aside from the murders, the Future Foundation is losing money. The Super High School Detective was investigating on the matter. She eventually suspected Kurumi Amano and intended to interrogate her. That is until she got murdered.

 **"** **Who** **would've** **t** **hought** **that**   **the** **resources** **that** **could've** **been** **used** **for** **H** **ope** **has** **been** **misused** **by** **a** **desperate** **soul**. **What** **a** **shame** **.** **Serves** **her** **right** **.** **She** **deserves** **it** **."**

Still, that doesn't mean she deserves to die.

 **"** **Tell** **me** **.** **How** **does** **it** **feel** **to** **see** **those** **around**   **you** **die** **one** **by** **one** **like** **flies** **? No** **one** **is** **safe** **.** **The** **only** **way** **to** **stop** **me** **is** **to** **catch** **me** **."**

And the screens turn off.

* * *

"Sir, it appears that Takashi Nise's broadcasts come from the Future Foundation."

"I thought so. I believe I found my suspects. Especially a  _certain_  someone."

* * *

A few hours after Rue's murder, everyone is in the office. Makoto can't focus. He couldn't get his mind off that video Takashi sent. How many more people will die? It's like Hope's Peak all over again. But this time, he can't do anything about it.

"What's up, bruh? You looked spaced out," Yasuhiro asks.

"I'm fine thanks.  _*_ _yawn_ _*_ "

"Tired already? This is just the first hour."

"I don't know why but I couldn't get some decent sleep. Especially what's happening now."

"I see... According to my crystal ball, everything will work out fine."

"Thanks for that. So Yasuhiro, have you done your report?"

Yasuhiro's face turn pale and says, "Oh no! I totally forgot!"

Makoto sweatdrops.

Suddenly, a voice amplifies through the megaphones. The announcement is shocking.

**"Yasuhiro Hagakure. Aoi Asahina. Kyoko Kirigiri. Makoto Naegi. Those who were called please go to the meeting room. The chairman wants to see you."**


	10. Suspects

The four people called are now in the meeting room. It's dark with blue and green lighting. There is a large oblong table and a giant screen.

There are two people with them. First is Kyosuke Munakata. He has pale blond hair and serious blue eyes. He's wearing a white business suit. He's the head of the 2nd Division, Vice President of the Future Foundation, and former Super High School Level Class President. A katana is on his side. He's the type of person who gets things done.

Sitting on a chair is the chairman— Kazuo Tengan. He's an old man with a neat beard. He wears a pair of small glasses. He doesn't look intimidating but he can be a bit tricky.

"Ah, you're here. Please take a seat," Kazuo says.

The four do that.

"As you probably know already, a mysterious madman named Takashi Nise is within the Future Foundation as we speak. If he were to continue as he please, everything we worked for will go to waste. That's why I call you here," he says.

Makoto is confused. Is the Chairman asking for their help—

"Unfortunately, you will all be detained for interrogation," Kyosuke says immediately.

That surprises everyone in a bad way.

"What? Why?" Makoto asks.

"So you believed that one of us is Takashi Nise, correct?" Kyoko asks.

"What!?" Everyone says.

"You can't be serious," Yasuhiro says.

"Yeah I mean... One of us, a killer?" Aoi reacts.

"At least I don't need to spell it out for you. The evidences points to you four. Aside from the conditions of the murders, there appears to be another detail—the ones who first witnessed the bodies," Kyosuke explains seriously and harshly. He then holds a tablet and taps it until its content is projected to the big screen.

The first thing they see is a picture of a soldier. He has brown hair and dark brown eyes. They recognize his immediately—he's the first one found dead. In short, the first victim of Takashi Nise. Yuri Yukimura.

"Yasuhiro Hagakure. You're the one who found his body, correct?"

"Yeah... It's really creepy. I was just chatting with Makoto. He said he needed to go to the bathroom so I'm left alone. At that time, I was looking for my crystal ball. Then, I saw a bright light. As if it's been reflected by something. I followed it and found my crystal ball...cracked. Its pieces were on the head of the guy."

Kyosuke then taps something and another photo appears. A man with blue hair and red eyes. That's the man who died by poison. Hiro Nori.

"The one who first saw him was Aoi Asahina, isn't that right?"

"Y-Yes. Makoto and I were walking to the cafeteria. He then forgot something so he told me to go ahead. After that, I went to the cafeteria. I then smelled something delicious so I went to the kitchen. That's when I saw him."

Then a photo of a woman appears. That's the one who was overdosed with sleeping pills. Hana Haru.

"Before you asked, yes I was first to found the body," Kyoko says. "I just received Makoto's report when I went to the archives to investigate on the money issue. I never knew that I would stumble upon her."

After that, a picture of a man with an overgrown beard is shown. Tako Haru.

"If I recall correctly, it was you who found him. Makoto Naegi."

Makoto gulps and says, "Yes. I was having nightmares so I woke up early. I decided to walk a bit when I noticed the door leading to the Research Lab is damaged. I opened it to see what's going on when I found him."

"OK so we're the first to saw them, so what?" Yasuhiro says.

Kyosuke then presses something, revealing the pictures of all the victims of this current dilemma.

"Aside from the victims that I mentioned earlier, it was only you four who first seen all of the victims' bodies. A couple might have been circumstantial but the idea of first discovering all of them is no doubt suspicious."

Everyone can't believe this. They are suspects for murder. 

"Then again, it is possible that Takashi Nise is not a person. For all we know, that could be a name for a Terrorist Group."

"You can't be serious! Do you really think that we'll murder these people?!" Makoto exclaims. 

"It's just a possibility," Kazuo says. "You'll just be detained until we are certain that you have anything to do with this mess."

"There's also another possibility," Kyosuke says. "It's possible that one of you is the murderer while the rest were just there to cover his tracks. And that suspect is you... Makoto Naegi!"

The Vice President points at Makoto.

"What?! I'm not the killer!" He reacts.

"Makoto will never do something like that!" Aoi says.

"Yeah. He's Super High School Level Hope for crying out loud!" Yasuhiro says.

"No disrespect Mr. Munakata but I know Makoto long enough to see that he's never the type to commit murder just for the sake of despair," Kyoko says, defending him.

"Kyoko..." Makoto reacts with awe.

"Hmph. I expected more from you, Kyoko Kirigiri. Ever since he joined the Future Foundation, the murders started. Haven't you noticed that except the murder of Kurumi Amano, Makoto was always near the crime scene after the deed took place? Not only that, Takashi Nise is someone who's just as capable of influencing others with his nonsense as Makoto is with his platitudes."

"It seems odd yes but I believe in Makoto," Kyoko responds.

"Very well, you can stand your ground but all of you will still be detained until further notice," Kazuo says.

Guards then surround them the four. They are about to be taken away until─

_BEEP_

_BEEP_

_BEEP_

_BEEP_

_**BOOM!** _


	11. Tainted Name

Makoto opens his eyes and finds himself in a strange hallway.

His friends are surprised as well.

"W-What just happened?" Aoi asks.

No one gets it. They try to recall the incident. One minute they might be detained. Then the sound of an explosion occurred and created a hole beneath them, causing them to fall.

Kyoko then notices small balls on the floor. She picks one up and examines it.

"What is that?" Makoto asks.

Kyoko shows the object─a mini Monokuma head. It's split in half so the white side and the black side are separated.

"This must've been the cause. It's a small bomb. Not particularly strong when it's alone but when detonated as a group...it has the power of a regular bomb."

Suddenly, the TV screens flicker.

 **"** **Hi** **again** **.** **This** **is** **for** **the** **Future** **Foundation** **and** **perhaps** **everyone**   **else**.  **If** **you** **heard** **an** **explosion** **in** **the** **Future** **Foundation** **HQ** **,** **you** **don't** **have** **to** **worry** **about** **it** **.** **It's** **just** **a** **cliffhanger** **effect** **.** **You** **know** **?** _ *****_ _ **sigh**_ _ *****_ **I** **guess** **that** **didn't** **work** **.** **If** **this** **were** **a** **book** **or** **a** **TV** **episode** **,** **then** **it** **might've** **.** "

Takashi's voice is all over the building. Maybe all over the city.

 **"** **Anyway,** **I** **want**   **to** **thank** **you** **for** **being** **loyal** **viewers** **to** **my** **program** **.** **I** **never** **thought** **that** **my** **videos** **would** **cause** **havoc** **and** **misery** **.** **Maybe even despair!** **I'm** **so** **happy** **.** **Thank** **you** **so** **much** **.** **I** **couldn't** **have** **done** **it** **without** **you** **.** **"**

Takashi sounds like a child who won a gold star. Normally, everyone would be glad for him. If his videos are not about despair that is.

But Takashi is not finish yet.

 **"** **As** **a** **re** **ward** **for** **your** **attention** **,** **I** **have** **a** **surprise** **for** **you** **.** **Though** **I** **think** **you'll** **not** **like** **it** **.** **It's** **nothing** **special** **but** **I** **really** **want** **to** **give** **you** **something** **.** **So** **here** **it** **is** ─ **I'll** **reveal** **to** **you** **my** **true** **identity** **."**

"WHAT!?"

Takashi makes it sound like it's no big deal. But in this case, it is. They will finally know who really is Takashi Nise. Who really is the mad killer.

**"** **And** **I** **am** **..."**

A drum roll is played and the TV shows another image.

Everyone's eyes widen.

"No...it can't be," Aoi remarks.

"This guy is joking, right?" Yasuhiro asks. "Sure he can't be..."

Kyoko shows no signs of panic. She just wears her thinking face.

Makoto can't believe it.

"This...can't be true..."

The screen shows Makoto and his friends in the at the meeting room a few minutes ago. But the camera focus on one person...

 **"** **Makoto** **Naegi** **.** **That's** **right** **.** **I** **am** **not** **a** **terrorist** **group** **but** **a** **person** **thank** **you** **very** **much** **.** **So** **there** **you** **have** **it** **.**   **Does that make your very being filled with despair? The Super High** **School** **Hope** ─ **the** **one** **who's** **lifting** **the people** **spirits** **is** **actually** **the** **cause** **of** **all** **this** **despair** **!** **Doesn't** **it** **make** **you** **feel** **hopeless** **?**   **I** **wonder** **what** **you'll** **do** **with** **this** **information** **...** **Oh** **well** **.** **See** **you** **on** **the** **other** **side** **."**

The screen turns off.

"He can't be serious. Me...a killer? That's crazy!" Makoto exclaims angrily. He can't stand that guy. First he spends his entire time driving people to despair and now he's saying a crazy lie. But why? What is Takashi's motive?

"Hold it right there!"

Makoto's train of thought is interrupted by the soldiers running towards them.

"Guys...is it just me or are the soldiers aiming their guns at us?" Aoi asks.

"Everyone run!" Makoto screams out as he and his friends quickly do that.

The sound of guns firing echoes through the hallway as the four run for their lives.

"AHH!" Yasuhiro says as a bullet barely misses his head.

There is a crossroad in front of them.

"This way!" Kyoko says as they take the left path.

Eventually they reach the outside. They're able to lose the guards chasing them. Hopefully.

"I think we lost them," Makoto says, panting.

"I don't get it. Why are they chasing us in the first place?" Yasuhiro asks.

"It's because of Takashi. He said that his true identity is Makoto Naegi. The soldiers must have received orders to take him. Dead or alive," Kyoko answers.

"What!?" Aoi reacts.

"But Makoto isn't the killer, right?" Yasuhiro asks.

"Of course not! Takashi is framing me! Besides, if I am really Takashi and I just revealed myself to the public, then why am I still denying it? Shouldn't I made some sort of plan beforehand?"

"Indeed. That is no doubt inconvenient for the mastermind. Takashi might just said that to pull the Future Foundation down," Kyoko deducts. "Sadly, we don't enough proof. We need to investigate this further. Until then, we should lay low for a while. I'm not surprised if people are searching for us. As of now, we are probably seen as Makoto's accomplices."

The rest is scared. Just after three months of freedom, they become refugees.

"Don't worry, we will make it through. As long as we don't lose sight of hope, anything is possible," Makoto encourages everyone. "Think about it. We are not alone this time. We have each other. If we work together, we can find a way out of this despair."

"You're right. We come this far. I'm sure we can reach greater heights," Aoi says.

"Yeah man! I'm with you every step of the way!" Yasuhiro says.

Kyoko nods with approval.

"Alright, here goes nothing."

They head to the ruins with their heads held high.


	12. Entering The Jungle

What was once the great capital city, Tokyo is now the center of Japan's Despair. 

The sun's rays of hope are covered by the blood-stained sky. The city's ruins can be seen everywhere. There are collapsed buildings, the bodies of the unfortunate, and people wearing Monokuma masks. The smell of blood and rotting flesh is overwhelming.

There is no longer order. Only chaos and ruin.

That is why people hold on to hope. They don't want to succumb to this darkness, this horror, this despair. They will do whatever it takes to bring back the world they love.

Even if it costs them some lives.

Why else would they decide to start by eliminating a certain supporter of Despair?

Takashi's latest video is playing all over the city. Every television, big screen, and radio are saying the same thing:

**"** **Hope and Despair. Two opposing forces fighting against one another. An endless battle that will leave a path of destruction at its wake.** "

As the video plays, soldiers with the Future Foundation crest on their suits march across the city. They are defending themselves against the men wearing Monokuma masks.

Bombs erupt. Guns are fired. The defenseless are trying to avoid the chaos. Very few come out alive.

**"Which side should you choose? Hope?"**

Another bomb hits.

**"Or Despair?"**

A building collapses as the screams of innocent people amplify.

**"** **Then again...does it** ** _really_ ** **matter?"**

"Fire!"

Tanks are shooting at random directions. Smoke and debris are appearing.

**"** **It doesn't matter what side you so-called choose. You will always contribute to the war, the pain, and the suffering of others.** **"**

Wanted posters of Makoto Naegi are plastered on every wall, every corner of the city. People are seen running in different directions, searching for the boy whom they think contribute to their dilemma.

**"The borderline between enemies and allies becomes a blur. Even the closest of friends can destroy each other** **..."**

One of the posters with Makoto's picture is caught on fire. The edges start to burn away...

**"So which side are you on? Despair and succumb to the inevitable?"**

Two young youths find the partially burnt poster on a broken brick wall. One of them rips it and analyzes it further. He grits his teeth.

**"Or Hope and suffer the pain of trying to avoid the inevitable? If you ask me, it doesn't really matter. Because either way leads to one path..."**

**"** _ **Despair** _ **."**

* * *

"I still can't believe people would think that psychopath is Makoto. Like, he doesn't even sound like him," Aoi remarks.

"Yeah like come on people! Can't you see you're being fooled by a Despair nutjob?!" Yasuhiro exclaims.

"Well we can't use that as evidence to prove his innocence now can we?" Kyoko says in a serious tone. "The Despair-Induced terrorist attacks lessened since the death of Junko Enoshima. However, it increased once again after Takashi appeared. The people are panicking so they will accept anything that seems to be the key to solving their problems. Because Takashi said that he's Makoto, the solution would be killing him in hopes of eliminating the despair."

"Yeah that's true..." Makoto says.

Meanwhile, the four survivors of the Killing Game are currently in a convenience store eating some food they found there. They are watching Takashi's new video from the small TV screen on the upper right corner of the room.

There's also a Press Conference happening right now. Kyousuke Munakata is speaking, saying how the Future Foundation is using its full power to search for Takashi Nise and that he can't hide forever.

It's official. Makoto is an outlaw.

"So...what's the plan?" Yasuhiro asks as he takes a bite of an apple.

"We will investigate the matter and prove that Makoto is not Takashi Nise. By doing this, we'll no longer be suspects," Kyoko answers in a serious tone.

"But where can we start?" Aoi asks.

The SHSL Detective brings out a small object from her jacket pocket. A flash drive.

"During my investigation, I put files that might be useful in my flash drive. It contains the data that's connected to the case. From the victims' profiles to the plans of the Future Foundation."

Her friends awe with curiosity.

"You're amazing!" Makoto says with admiration.

"Thank you," Kyoko says as pink tones are appearing on her cheeks. She shrugs it off. She has no time for this! She checks the area again. No one else is near them.

Knowing that they are in a safe distance, she brings out her laptop and inserts the flash drive in. She then clicks some files. She shows it to her friends.

"Until now, what the victims have in common is that they are involved in a strange project. It's called Project S.O.FT."

"What is it about?" Aoi asks.

"Unfortunately, I'm not sure of it exactly," Kyoko answers. "However, I think I have an idea on who might."

* * *

 "Testing testing 1 2 3... Yup, it's showtime."

Takashi Nise completely knows what's he's doing. He knows what will happen. He knows what his actions will bring. He knows what will bring the most Despair.

The first phase of his plan is complete. That is to drive everyone in a frenzy. However, he is so surprised when sending those new videos really got the people going crazy.  Even though it's his intention, he can't help but believe that just telling everyone that he's Makoto Naegi— the Super High School Level Hope caused a massive man-hunt and more destruction than all the Despair-Inducing attacks combined! He could still feel the adrenaline, the thrill of seeing everyone falling in a pit of delicious Despair. It's just so...

Wait. He must focus. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Despair he desires is not there yet. He must keep going.

So, what's going to happen next? Well, the next thing that will probably happen is that Makoto will try to clear his name. He and his friends will investigate on who Takashi really is and the secret of Project S.O.FT and why he wants it so badly.

This is what he's  _ **hoping**_ for. Hmmm... it's so weird that he's using that term in his thoughts. Oh well.

OK. It is time to make the call.

He presses the dial button and puts his phone next to his ear. He hears the hums until it finally beeps. A robotic female voice can be heard from the other end.

_**"Monokuma Services. How can we help you?"** _

"Hi," he says with enthusiasm. "I have an appointment with  _them_?"

Another beep can be heard.

"The password you say? Here it is, don't miss it."

He whispers to his phone.

_**"**_ _ **T**_ ** _ransaction complete. The call will begin in_ ** **_a few moments_** ** _."_ **

Takashi takes a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing."

After a few seconds, the phone beeps and Takashi's eyes beam with joy.

"Hello! I am Takashi Nise. Nice to meet you."

It's difficult to eavesdrop on the conversation. All that can be heard is the voice of Takashi. 

"Yes. I am the one who was broadcasting those videos. You know? I am a HUGE fan of your work. Your Despair-Inducing acts are so inspiring and dreadful that it strikes me like lightning! It's such an honor to talk to you."

Takashi is beaming like a happy child. 

"Oh of course! Where are my manners? I am so sorry. You are all really busy people. I'll cut to the chase..."

At that moment, Takashi's face darkens with his blue eyes seemingly glowing. He wears a sly grin. He then starts with a dark and dramatic tone:

"The world is becoming boring, don't you think? Back in the good old days, Despair was running rampant across the streets. Like a virus, it infected every living being without mercy or warning. Everyday was a thrill of a lifetime. It was exciting to suddenly find yourself in a hopeless situation where your mind and soul rips apart into a million pieces. 

"But then,  _Hope_ came along by the form of Makoto Naegi. It was because of  _him_ that not only Despair is not as active as it once was, but also...the great and powerful Super High School Level Despair Junko Enoshima died. Our Beacon of Despair fell while the one responsible is still alive without any guilt of his crime. You want him to pay, don't you? So? How would you like an opportunity to take him down?"

Silence fills the air for a few seconds.

"That's right. The Super High School Level Hope is now an outlaw by the Future Foundation. He is more vulnerable than ever before. I know his every move. I can lead him to you so that you can strike. Why am I doing this, you ask? I believe that since you are Junko Enoshima's most devoted followers, you deserve the opportunity to draw first blood and personally eliminate the one who foolishly believed that Hope will triumph.

"What's the catch? It's quite small..."

He whispers it. Seconds of silence pass and Takashi's eyes lit up.

"You're game? Thank you so much! I will send you the details. Here's...to  _Despair_."

* * *

The door of the convenience store slowly opens. Kyoko's first to step outside. She is no longer wearing her office clothes; she is wearing her usual detective outfit.

"The coast of clear," she says as everyone comes out as well. They too are wearing their casual wear.

"Wow it's been awhile since I wore this," Aoi says with a smile as she checks out her outfit. She's wearing her red jacket, top, and shorts.

"Woo! You know? I wasn't into the suit getup. It's great to wear my thing for once," Yasuhiro comments as he looks at his baggy green pants, loose white jacket and yellow shirt, and his slippers.

The only perk about the ruined city is how easy it is to get some clothes in the broken shops without people noticing. Stealing is wrong, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"This will help us blend in with the civilians," Kyoko says. "Makoto, you took long enough."

Everyone looks at Makoto as he scratches his head with embarrassment.

"Sorry about that. The zipper in my hoodie was stuck so it took awhile."

Everyone sweatdrops.

"Is everyone ready?" Kyoko asks. "Very well, let's go."

The four walks through the streets of Tokyo for a few minutes. They sneakily enter a dark alleyway.

"Um... Kyoko? What is this place?" Aoi asks.

Right before the four is a small building made of cracking bricks. A neon sign flickers in multiple colors. It says:

**The** **Bloody** **Lady**

"This is it," Kyoko starts. "Now remember, once we enter this place, I want you to not say anything. A single slip up will blow our cover."

"Roger that!" Aoi says with enthusiasm.

"Yeah! Like she says! Our lips will be tight shut," Yasuhiro says.

Kyoko then faces Makoto.

"Makoto, I want you to wear your hoodie just to be safe. Even though we are all suspects, I doubt that the people there would recognize us since we are not the main target. However,  _you_ are everyone's priority right now so we shouldn't risk it."

"Got it," SHSL Hope says as he wears his hoodie.

The group faces the door.

"OK guys. Let's do this," Makoto says as he opens the door.

* * *

In a dimly lit room, a group of grown men wearing Monokuma masks are beating up a man in his mid-40s.

"OOF!"

The man collapses by the impact that kick has on his abdomen.

"Ready to spill, mister? Or you want another beating?"

The man struggles to face the one in charge of his situation. A young blond man wearing a black suit and a matching Fedora. He has an eye patch covering his right eye and a red left eye. He wears this cruel grin that displays superiority and danger.

All those characteristics. A perfect fit for a Yakuza.

The Yakuza kneels and forcefully turns the man's head so that they will have eye contact.

The man says with a scowl, "No. I will never tell you. There's no way I'm going to tell you—"

The Yakuza points a hand gun directly at the man's temple.

"I'm gonna give you till the count of three. Tell me where your boss is or I'll blow your brains off."

The man is breathing rapidly, but it only makes the Yakuza excited. His eye growing bigger by the thrill to see this man despair on his decision. Should he remain loyal and die or will he betray his boss and live in agony? Either way...

"One."

He loads the gun.

"Two."

His fingers are on the trigger, ready to pull it. The man is sweating rapidly and his eyes are widening. But it doesn't give a damn to the Yakuza. He smiles wickedly.

"Three—"

The door suddenly opens. A young woman appears. Her light purple hair is tied in a braid and her red eyes look strict and intimidating. She is wearing a black school uniform with a katana hanging behind her back.

She then bows before the Yakuza.

"Master," she says.

The Yakuza looks at her annoyed.

"Tch. Why the heck did you interrupt me? I'm in a middle of somethin'."

He gestures to the man he's about to shoot at. 

"We just got word that  _they_ are here."

In response, the Yakuza face lits up with interest.

"Oh I see. Very well, if there's nothing else then leave."

In response, the woman left. The Yakuza grins evilly. 

"Hehehe... So, that guy  _is_  telling the truth. Now I'm going to have a hell of a time."


End file.
